NHL: Western Conference preview

For the first time, the Ducks and Kings made the Stanley Cup playoffs in the same season but the stay for both ended after only six games. But that doesn't figure to be a fluke as another big year for hockey in Southern California may be ahead.

This might be the time that either the Ducks or Kings overtake rival San Jose for the Pacific Division title. The Ducks haven't won a division crown since their only triumph in the 2007 Cup season while the Kings also have just one title back in 1990-91 when there was still the Smythe Division.

All three will have to contend with Vancouver, the reigning Presidents' Trophy winner which tasted a Cup defeat for the third time in its history. And there are the other usual suspects that will factor in the Western Conference race – Detroit, Chicago and Nashville.

Will there be a surprise team that jumps into the top eight? Will a supposed contender take an unexpected fall? The Register takes an educated stab at how the Western Conference will shake out.

Outlook: The key question with the Canucks is which way will they go after losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals to Boston? Will blowing series leads of 2-0 and 3-2 in the process power them to finish the job in 2011-12 or will that represent their greatest chance their best and only chance to hoist the silver chalice. Most of the same cast is back led by the Sedin twins, who are the top of their game. They are deep on the back end and have plenty of offense. There will be no competition in the Northwest and they'll rack up plenty of points but their Cup fortunes will again ride on goalie Roberto Luongo.

Outlook: It is time for the Kings to take that next big step and GM Dean Lombardi sensed that by giving up prized prospect Schenn to bring in Richards, a top two-way threat that makes them deep down the middle with Anze Kopitar and Jarret Stoll. Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier are an impressive tandem in goal and Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson lead a strong defense corps. If underachieving winger Dustin Penner shows up in his contract year, the Kings will edge San Jose and the Ducks for the Pacific.

Outlook: The Blackhawks no longer have the Stanley Cup hangover to deal with, which will be a good thing. Remember that this group slipped into the playoffs as the eighth seed and nearly took out eventual Stanley Cup finalist Vancouver. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane remain a potent one-two punch and veteran Brunette has long been an underrated playmaker. The additions of Montador and O'Donnell will give the Hawks a little more teeth on the blue line while Carcillo and Mayers add more sandpaper.

Outlook: GM Doug Wilson is bound and determined to have the Sharks take that next step after back-to-back conference final appearances and so he's betting that picking up Burns and Havlat from Minnesota will upgrade their blue line and provide more speed among their forward corps. Handzus is an underrated signing and helps them move Joe Pavelski back into a more offensive role. But it's always about Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, although Thornton silenced a few critics with an impressive 2011 postseason.

Outlook: For once, the Ducks didn't make wholesale changes over the summer and largely bring back the same group. Cogliano is already being counted on to step up his game in a supporting role and help deepen a top-heavy lineup. The club has a top-five netminder in Jonas Hiller if he is healthy – and it has appeared so in camp. The team should benefit from Phoenix and Dallas taking a step back and motivated to give Teemu Selanne quite the sendoff in what might really be his final season.

6. DETROIT RED WINGS

2010-11 record: 47-25-10 (104 points)

Conference finish: Third (won Central Division)

Postseason results: Defeated Phoenix, 4-0, in quarterfinals; lost to San Jose, 4-3, in semifinals

Outlook: Betting against the Red Wings is always a risky proposition but the hard cold facts are that they haven't advanced beyond the second round since making back-to-back Stanley Cup final appearances (winning in 2008). They've still got stars Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg along with key support players like Johan Franzen and Dan Cleary but they need some youngsters to take another step forward. Points will be harder to come by in a deeper Central.

7. NASHVILLE PREDATORS

2010-11 record: 44-27-11 (99 points)

Conference finish: Fifth (second in Central Division)

Postseason results: Defeated Anaheim, 4-2, in quarterfinals; lost to Vancouver, 4-2, in semifinals

Outlook: With top-pairing stud defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter and Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne, the Predators are always in close games and win their fair share of them behind an opportunistic offense. But the small-market club still lacks the high-end scoring talent needed to become a true Stanley Cup contender despite the gains it made with last season's first-ever playoff series win.

Outlook: A rash of injuries to top players essentially killed the Blues' playoff hopes last season so the return of players like Andy McDonald, T.J. Oshie and David Perron to health will greatly help. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has already replaced Erik Johnson and the trade for blossoming power forward Chris Stewart and puck-mover Kevin Shattenkirk will continue to pay off. Goalie Jaroslav Halak should be better after a transitional first season under the Arch.

Outlook: The Wild are now three seasons removed from their last playoff berth and they've been skating in sand since. Blockbuster trades with San Jose for Heatley and Setoguchi have the potential to boost a middling offense but neither player has ever proven to be a leader in the past. Their second line also doesn't match up with most of the top teams in the West. New coach Mike Yeo was successful at the AHL level but this will be a new challenge. There are still too many question marks to answer.

Outlook: The Blue Jackets have made the playoffs once in their 11-year history and attendance has fallen as fans are tiring of the lack of progress. Management recognized that and allowed GM Scott Howson to go get a first-line center in Carter for star captain Rick Nash and spent big on defenseman Wisniewski. Wisniewski and Martinek improve the Jackets' notoriously weak blue line but it's still not a top-flight group and goalie Steve Mason is two poor seasons removed from winning the Calder Trophy.

Outlook: Jarome Iginla is still a force at 34 and the Flames have more offense than you would think but the core pieces like Iginla, who'll reach 500 goals this season, and goalie Miikka Kiprusoff are only getting older. Young Michael Backlund, the projected No. 1 center, will miss the first six weeks of the season due to a broken finger. Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester is not the difference-maker he's paid to be and losing the rugged stay-at-home Regehr might hurt more than they realize.

Outlook: Coyotes coach Dave Tippett has been able to work the us-against-the-hockey-world approach to great benefit the last two seasons in getting a workmanlike squad into the playoffs but he doesn't have Bryzgalov anymore to lean on. Tippett will still get all he can out of a bunch of worker bees led by venerable Shane Doan and rising defenseman Keith Yandle but the losses and the ongoing specter of a franchise move are too much to overcome this time.

Outlook: Some are bullish on the acquisition of Varlamov and Giguere, the former Ducks' Stanley Cup-winning goalie, should be a fine mentor while also pushing the youngster for playing time. But former No. 1 pick Erik Johnson is still a question for a marginally better blue line that was 30th in goals against last season. Matt Duchene is a player and fast becoming a star.

Outlook: Had the Stars defeated Minnesota on the final day of the season, they would have been in the playoffs and not Chicago. It might seem like they're close to being a playoff team but that was more a failed playoff push with Richards, who's now on Broadway. GM Joe Nieuwendyk collected a few new pieces but none of them will replace Richards, individually or collectively. Veterans like Brenden Morrow won't allow them to be an embarrassment but they're definitely trending downward.

Outlook: Nugent-Hopkins (above) is the latest youngsters added to a collection of skilled forwards for the Oilers and the No. 1 overall pick, who had a strong training camp, should create excitement with Taylor Hall. Even with the cherished return of Ryan Smyth along with top defenseman Ryan Whitney back from injury, Edmonton is still thin on the back end and questionable in goal. The rebuilding Oilers will win more games but moving up in the West is a tougher task.

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